#they just choose not to when it comes to idw op and it's so fucking juvenile

[lord-squiggletits]

I know this fandom is capable of nuance because I see plenty of in-depth discussions about severely morally gray (more black than gray tbh) discussions of characters like IDW Prowl and IDW Megatron. So I know that the reason people don't talk about IDW Optimus isn't because they're not capable of taking an interest in complex/controversial characters.

At this point I'm literally convinced that it's just bc what the fandom wants Optimus to be is a dumb himbo team dad (and the malewife to whichever character they ship him with). So because IDW Optimus can't be simplified into a silly himbo or shy sad uke twink, and his character writing deliberately asks the question of "is Optimus a good person and how much do good intentions matter compared to the harm caused along the way" instead of making Optimus the Unquestioned Moral Paragon of the series, people react by utterly shunning and refusing to acknowledge or write about IDW Optimus the same way they're willing to write about other IDW characters who are far worse than he is.

That, and most ppl haven't even read the comics and so the version of IDW Optimus they think is utterly an asshole, is a caricature that only exists in their own brain constructed from out of context comic panels of him and nothing else lol. Like when people see the panel of OP beating up Prowl and going "omg he's evil" ignoring/not being aware of the fact the reason he did is bc Prowl tried to kill an entire planet of people. As just one of many examples. Bc god forbid people actually read the comics and see why he made those decisions in context, let's just cherrypick the worst incidents with zero explanation and act as if that's the sum of his character

[blighted-lights]

choose violence; 1, 3, 6, 9, 13

(for this ask here!!! im still taking asks for this, so feel free to send more in!)

1: Character Everyone Gets Wrong

going to name several here, just because i can lol. for idw, its tailgate, drift, arcee, getaway, and tarn. for tfp, it's airachnid and knock out. jazz gets hit with this HARD no matter what continuity he's in and it's so frustrating seeing most fanon interpretations of him, because a lot of it is just rooted in racism. that isn't saying at all that people are intentionally being bigoted ofc, but a lot of the headcanons that people assign jazz and the frequent mischaracterization of him is... well. it's weird. it's weird.

3: Screenshot or Description of The Worst take You've Seen on Tumblr

so im not going to pull out direct screenshots on this, but there is a LOT of back and forth about sexuality headcanons in the tf community, and holy fuck does it get annoying sometimes. im full believer in the idea that anyone can headcanon any character as whatever they want, don't get me wrong, but there is such a lack of consideration for others and boundary crossing when it comes to people going "you're wrong, actually, and here's several paragraphs describing why". this character cant be bi for yadda yadda, they cant be trans bc yadda yadda, they cant be ace bc yadda yadda, or they can ONLY be ace bc of whatever reason. it's happened to me, to several of my mutuals, it's happened to other people i see just randomly in the transformers tag. there's been several vague posts made about people disagreeing with other people's takes and its just,,, it's draining, ngl. maybe not the worst takes i've seen overall but definitely one of the most frequent that annoy me

6: Which Ship Fans Are The Most Annoying?

obligatory "not all fans of these ship are annoying, this is me generalizing from what i've seen" warning here, but i think mega/op and mega/star take the cake. and dra/tchet. this is largely because there's such a big separation between the canon and fanon versions of these characters that seeing a lot of the fanart and fic made for them is just,,, agh. i can't really recognize these characters as who they're supposed to be because they've been so removed from how they're presented in canon media. and im NOT saying you have to strictly adhere to canon. because fuck canon, lol. but it comes to a point where these aren't even the same people anymore. and i wouldn't even care about the canon/fanon thing if some of these fans weren't so idk. mean? aggressive? when it comes to their shipping and people not agreeing with what they ship/how they present that ship? it's absolutely calmed down in recent years, though.

also there's a fair bit of dra/tchet fic and art that is just. absolutely riddled with casual classism, orientalism, and anti-sex work rhetoric, and its uncomfortable. so i tend not to engage much with the fandom on it.

9: Worst Part of Canon

this is such a vague question because i could say so much here, but i'm just going to go with the very biased answer of the frequent condescending way a lot of the beastformers are treated throughout idw. like. these are people. canon wants you to believe that these characters are just as sentient and alive as everyone else but just, jeez. look at what ravage does throughout all of mtmte. being pet, drinking out of bowls, sleeping under megatron's bed, the visual gag of megatron gifting him a bone in one of the cover pages for the holiday special in mtmte, nautica handing ravage a little energon treat, everyone calling him kitty. it's just. agh.

13. Worst Blorbofication

idw tailgate and ravage. absolutely tailgate and ravage, though drift fits here too. tailgate is an arrogant asshole who has a violent streak a mile long. ravage is a bitter, snarky jerk who was, at some point, considering on killing megatron. they're both complex adults and fanon does somewhat have a habit of waving these things away.

[steelthroat]

6, 4, and 3 for the oc ask game!

Hiiiii and thanks for the ask I'm going with both my tf ocs and my personal favorite Argo... so onto the answers:

3: do they have a love interest and was that their choice or yours:

Argo: no love interests in his current state of being. He doesn't remember if he had one when he was still a human since his memories mix themselves with the ones of everyone he guided (a lot of creatures). Also he's not interested in that kind of thing. He already feels and loves strongly, and he also has a duty Death itself gave to him. The thought of guiding his possible lover towards Death one day would crush him.

Tf ocs:

Flange: yes! Although he usually fucks around he is in a loving relationship (he's delulu) with Wheelpad/Abode. It was not something I chose he did it all himself, he's a menace.

Wheelpad/Abode: Flange has a thing for him and he totally doesn't reciprocate... maybe a little, but just out of pity! That reckless Decepticon wouldn't last a second without him anyway!!!! (It was not his or my choice, Flange was just too powerful to be reasoned with)

Rocker: he was in love with Starship, now he needs therapy before even thinking about pursuing anything. But he's getting there. (I didn't choose anything, they're just made for each other they just don't see it yet)

Starship: "LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!" (you heard them, they're very in love)

Recoil: She doesn't outright reject love... she just- isn't attracted to incompetence, and there are too many incompetents around her... both Autobots and decepticons (she likes mechs with power, active and competent. Ffs she'sa commander not a sparkling-sitter)

4: do they have a best friend? How did they meet? If not why/why never?

Argo: his necronauts are like his famili but it's not like he has a best friend amongst them... it's difficult making connections when you're some kind of undead divinity. Oh... right Salice, another undead cryptid could be considered his best friend... and his pet shark.

Tf ocs:

Flange: EVERYONE IS A BEST FRIEND! (he really believes it... as I said he's delulu)

Abode/wheelpad: he doesn't believe in best friends... they either die or leave or both... you can't have best friends during the war, not that he would ever let someone get too close anyway... but Flange is snaking his way inside his spark somehow. He also met a couple of young bots that became close to him and he cares about them a lot...

Starship: they have Rocker. His other best friends died during the war. They also met this older autobot courier who's kind... yeah he's a friend

Rocker: ditto... but add more trust issues and trauma

Recoil: no. Just- no. Where would she even get one??? The Decepticon high command? His subordinates? The autobots? Come on they didn't even trust her! But maybe she's recently found. A group of mechs who she could call "friends" but the ex gladiator (Flange) is fucking annoying! (Affectionate)

6: what catalyzed their introduction to the plot?

I don't understand this question? Like in my life or the plot shfhgjgjgg I feel dumb wait-

Argo: I don't remember... I don't remember if he already existed as an OC and then I added him to am already existing story or not (like Anubis lol). Btw I needed someone absolutely Op that would help my protagonist and I sdded/created him :D

Tf ocs:

Flange: I needed an OC big like idw Roller that would woul woo a young Megatron.

Abode/Wheelpad: he was the protagonist of his own story... but then I added my other unrelated ocs and stuff is happening

Rocker and Starship were born after listening to a song and they were the protagonist of their own story but then I added them to the big plot with Wheelpad

Recoil: she's cool I don't know we needed her because yes

I hope this last answer made sense wbfhhfjgjg

[tfwhynoy]

Idw2 thoughts/rambling

Just me going through the comics and putting my thoughts down as I go. Some nonspecific spoilers ahead and semi-long so putting it under read more

Oh, we get to see Rumble from his forging? That’s cool

Wait that’s Rubble, not Rumble. Slightly confusing but okay

Oh fuck. Rubble is babey

Ape things controlled by squid things? okay...

Well that went nowhere

Windblade! She’s so pretty,,,

Ascenticons. Don’t like that name. Can’t wait for the change

Is Meg’s and Op’s hand thing a traditional cybertronian greeting or is that just how they say hello to each other?

Oh, Cybertron is sooo pretty. It glows! I love stuff like that like a passion

Titan’s? Can’t wait to see those big bois

WHERE DID RUBBLE’S AND WINDBLADE’S FACE FOR TWO PANELS

And my first gripe. Why choose Brainstorm? He gets no dialogue he’s just dead. You could have made up a bot to just die instead of choosing such a loved character from idw. He better come back somehow or I am SALT

Wow, Prowl’s tit is large. With the headlights, it even looks angry too

Look I know you got to simplify when characters are far away but at least give them a face when they are the central point of the panel and speaking

Seriously there are several panels where they aren’t that far away and they don’t have a face come on

The whole holo-com thing seems kinda impractical. So many people could listen in on your convo

I love Wheeljack he’s such a dork

Organics live on Cybertron! that’s cool

In some panels, because of how they simplify Rubble’s jawline he looks so pissed.

oH MOON?

We don’t see it in a panel but is Chromia the one who attempts the assassination? One of the cover arts strongly implies this.

Soundwave had a very special speech bubble just for him which makes me think he sounds like a text to speech program

I am digging Soundwave’s yellow visor though

Ball Gag Bot is back. great

If Froid is back Rung better be back too. he doesn’t have to be God I just really wanna see my boi again.

Froid has a lil circle ring thing in the center of his head. Looks like it’d make a great target

What is a threefold spark? Is that like a one percenter?

So if a cybertronian nearly eats themselves into a food coma instead of getting really tired like a human they get really energized and destructive? Cool

Is this Cybertonian neurodivergents I see? That’s rad as hell

OOOh, those poor bots. Is this something that happened to them willingly?

Cyclonus is so pretty too,,,

And Cyclonus is a social anxiety icon

“I broke my phone because people wanted to *shudders* talk to me”

I see dead people

I hope we see more of his ability to see the dead through the comics. It’s actually really cool.

Oh, I’m loving this Prowl so far. Kinda a stick in the mud but he does care type a person so far

Religious types don’t know when to leave people be on Cybertron either? Damn...

PROWL! That looked like the opening to a porno!

He has a pterodactyl babey! That’s so adorable! He’s so sweet...

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

Oh, Rubble. I hope his trip to the moon being postponed doesn’t become a consistent thing.

Bee why are you going into a cave to meet someone?

Rubble no this can only end badly

I thought Soundwave pulled out a guitar for a moment

A lot of organics live on Cybertron! It’s so cool!

And the ape people are going somewhere but I don’t think anywhere good...

RUN RUBBLE

RUBBLE NOOO

I may actually be crying,,,

Quake whyyy

What is with these bots in the wall and ground? we get no explanation.

I am too gay for this holy hell

Seriously Megatron is adorable and I’m debating on changing my Icon now

Oh, being in equilibrium like that would be wild. I wish I could do that!

What is in the Leachate Lagoons. They’re such a vibrant green. Fun to say to

Op took a dip in the lagoons rip

Oooh, Bee! It wasn’t your fault... How would you have known...

Bee want’s to be an Ascenticon? That’s gonna be one hell of a switch in the future. Or maybe a Decepticon Bee? Doubt it but that would be cool

Wait, is this actually a trauma thing and not a superpower? Oh, that’s even cooler! Now I’m imagining a scene where he learns to let go and you slowly see them dissolve as he overcomes and grows from his trauma... I really hope we see something like that!

Fuck I’m gay

I just realized Cy has fangs

Why would you set up a com wire out there? What are you up to?

I love Cy’s fangs so much,,,

I am LIVING for all these femmes

Does empurata exist so early?

Oh, it’s just a welding mask

As much as I joke about Froid being the worst I would love to see him become part of the main cast. He doesn’t see to be the same kinda person mtmte Froid was. Maybe a bit of a narcissist but not the pure asshole as before.

Cyclonus you could have knocked

And he continues to be a social anxiety icon

And that’s all 8 issues out so far! I stated in another post I enjoyed it and I definitely do. I have some issues with it but I had some with mtmte and definitely took about ten issues to get into it while I got into this one almost immediately.

Not perfect but I’m looking forward to seeing more

[spockandawe]

Megatron?

I’m still chipping away at these, but I’m already looking forward very much to the holiday weekend where life will stop Happening for two minutes and I can catch up for real!

So, Megatron!!

First impression: Hahaha, not very nuanced. It was probably some combination of Bayverse and vague osmosis knowledge of the eighties cartoon, where I was like ‘oh yeah, the dick who’s a dick for no discernible reason’

Impression Now: I will not be satisfied by any canon in which Megatron does not have some kind of extremely valid point. IDW, TFA, and TFP have all touched on this, and it fanons well into other continuities if you write a solid backstory, but I ADORE how much nuance and depth he can introduce into things with that context. He’s so interesting!! He’s got a past in both shitty menial labor and fighting to survive, he’s obviously incredibly intelligent, he’s unbelievably tenacious, he’s got charisma for days, everything! And I was able to recognize a lot of that depth, but then, in MTMTE, when he starts legit scrutinizing his history and seeing the scope of how much death he helped cause and questioning his decisions and knowing he’ll never escape that history but still rethinking everything down to his sense of self, like. Oh my god. He’s so intelligent and tenacious he drags himself out of four million years of sunk cost, when he knew he had valid points from the start, and he still rebuilds himself. I knew he was a deep character, but that amazing and grabbed my attention and love like whoa.

Favorite Moment: This is a difficult character to choose this for! Especially with a shout-out to every glimpse we get of young baby Megatron in the past. But I think... it’s my favorite moment for Rodimus too, but it’s still got to be right at the end of DOTL, when Megatron goes in to kill the DJD. He’s already been falling apart just based on the weight of self-reflection, he’s never been happier than he was on the LL, and now it looks like because of that history he’ll never escape, he’s dragging down all the people with him who thought he was worth giving a second chance. It would be hard to find better confirmation that yes, your past will always be a chain around your neck, but also? Whenever it all catches up to you, you’re going to drag down anyone near you as well. Overlord and Tarn particularly embody Megatron’s worst mistakes in a way I’m not going to write an essay on here, but he goes into that last stand... not really expecting to make it out. And he doesn’t care. Rodimus shows up to help him and Megatron is this close to saying fuck it, I’m done with me. Like I said for Rodimus, Megatron is ready to give up on himself, and Rodimus is there with his hand outstretched, because he hasn’t given up on Megatron.

Idea For A Story: Okay. Listen. Pharmatron. No I’m not going to explain myself, but just wait, it’ll be amazing. Maybe with babies.

Unpopular Opinion: Oh god, I’ve completely lost the pulse of what are the Correct opinions to hold about him. Oh, I know. My opinion is that his treatment of Starscream has definitely been deliberately abusive at points in the past. And my opinion is that if he met up with Starscream now, he would be trying not to go down that path. But they’ve got so much habit and history behind them that they’d fall so naturally into those old toxic patterns, without even realizing it’s happening. I think that by the end of LL, Megatron was genuinely feeling super affectionate about Starscream and would have wanted to meet up and pursue that healthier relationship. But it has to be said that even though I think that’s what’s going on in his head, reality would play out much more like the ugly history. Is that even coherent? I don’t know anymore XD

Favorite Relationship: MMMMM. Hm. Okay, first of all, if we’re looking at a non-idw canon, this is almost definitely going to have to be OP. And even in idw, OP makes a strong case for himself. But again, like Rodimus, I’m going to have to go rodimegsmags. Picking one subset of that triad would be too difficult. But oh my god, I’m still so moved by how much he and Rodimus come to respect and value each other as the story progresses, and how upset they each are when they think the other one ditched them. And he and Ultra Magnus go together so naturally that I’m half-convinced JRO wrote some of that into the story on purpose. They’re both serious and reserved and awkward, and they write poetry!!! They’re in a better position to understand each other than most people on the ship, and they’re the two best huggers on the entire ship, it’s meant to be. Also, conveniently, once you factor in Minimus Ambus in the Magnus armor, every person in this relationship can cuddle someone smaller than them and someone larger than them, which is a very important factor.

Favorite Headcanon: I feel like I keep using this question as a second story idea response, but I don’t care :P So, imagine. The LL has just quantum jumped halfway across the universe with a crew that has just survived a LOT of shit, with a bunch of new crew too, etc. As shorthand, I keep referring to this setting as the LL swinger’s club. Basically, imagine Megatron and Ultra Magnus hooking up really easily and naturally from right out of the gate. And then, Rodimus feels melancholy and out of place, and spends time drifting from room to room, staying with different friends/couples, where there’s lots of people who are happy to have him around and want him, but he still can’t shake the feeling of being unnecessary and an imposition. But he can’t go back to hang out in the officer’s quarters, Mags and Megs are having a poetry night, and they asked me to come, but I know they’re just using it as an excuse to start kissing so of course I’m going to give them their space and not butt in-- I need Ultra Magnus and Megatron trying so hard, but so awkwardly, to court Rodimus while he’s also trying to be polite and leave them their space. I need Megatron chipping away at this situation and both him and Ultra Magnus trying to convey soft emotions directly, and not through poetry, because they need to communicate this to Rodimus and make him believe it

[primeadv]

SITS DOWN

PULLS OUT 10 GIANT ALBUMS :))) 

(this came out way longer than I intended im so fuckgkdsdf sory)

How I feel about this character: EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME KNOWS I’M IN LOVE WIHT RATCHET. I love him in all iterations of Transformers because he’s always the tired, pragmatic one of the group. In contrast, he’s also almost tiredly optimistic in some ways. He won’t get out of bed, but if someone gets shot in the head he’ll spend however long and beyond to resuscitate them. There’s 2 halves to this--the me who identifies with the beating exhaustion he exudes, and the me who’s in awe that he’ll still fight his way through life.  I won’t... get into each continuity...because that’s too much, so I’ll stick with probably the most unpopular version of him and that’s IDW (my impression, anyway). IDW Ratchet gets a lot of flack for being way too sour and like, maybe not selfish, but uncaring. He cares! A lot! He’s always thinking about everyone in really surprisingly thoughtful ways. Like when he’s 90% sure he’ll die due to Overlord and his last words are to promote First Aid to CMO (he’s ready!! god that’s sweet), and to give his hands to Whirl (though maybe a bit blindsided, he’s paid attention to some roots of Whirl’s trauma). Or yeah he’s hella mean to Drift in the beginning, but when Drift is dying in his arms he’s scREAMING at him “you’re gonna make it! You’re gonna be fine because I’m gonna make sure you’re gonna be fine”. He can be an asshole, but he knows the time and place. Death isn’t something to play with--he’s seen probably countless friends die, and he doesn’t want that to happen again. Even now, even after the war.  So I feel very confused when ppl act like he’s this mean, cold person. He’s exTREMELY emotional. He’s probably way too invested in everyone’s lives, honestly? He interrupts a round table story for Rung just to reminisce on the veery last time he, OP, and Roller were together in the same room (not even hanging out or anything, just being together one last time. who remembers that after 5+ millions years??). He started an illegal clinic in the bad part of town because he wanted to put his skills to better use! Like! LOL.  ALSO, a point that i think is unfair is that ppl think his atheism is just really mean. IT is! But I think it shows just how much of an emotional and extremely, deeply hurt person he is. It gets aggravating when he’s condescending of religion, because there’s no simple logic to it. He reacts the way he does because he’s a hurt person who’s gone through years of trauma and this is his way of coping. Is it healthy or right? Nah, but it’s humanizing. It’s why when he becomes closer to Drift he occupies this weird between space where he snarks but also tries to indulge more in perspectives outside of his own in his own dumb old tsundere way. He’s a person who believes in justice, ultimately, and religion to him doesn’t fall under justice.  ALSO, can I say that his inability to say good byes is so.. like relatable? I have rly bad social anxiety, and so I’ve definitely ghosted people who’ve been nothing but really supportive for me. It’s not because I wanted to burn them, but it freaks you out needing to, not even say goodbye, but communicate with ppl. And for Ratchet--how many times was he FORCED to say good bye to friends + patients who were dying beyond his help? Maybe, if he could help it, he doesn’t want to say goodbye. And it’s tragic the times he’s just left, these were people who ended up either dying for falling astray into insanity, i.e., beyond his help. But he learns. He chases after Drift, who he actually said, in a way, good bye to (helping him off the floor after being attacked, also I should point out that a very tiny handful of people were comfortable interacting w/ Drift at all, and how much Ratchet just doesn’t give a shit abt how other ppl think abt him. he’ll help drift off the floor bc t’s the right thing to do). He says goodbye in his old dumb way--First Aid calls him out on it. ALSO his trust in First Aid is super cute. ALSO he’s like.. genuinely nice to Ten (he helped him get a date with Minimus!!!). And he’s not afraid to call out on other ppl’s bullshit (telling rodi straight you dont deserve to be captain which, at the time, was really true). He’s also SUPER smart. Also there’s that post on tumblr that pointed out that Ratchet immediately goes to deescalate conflict. He’s willing to put aside pride and anything if it means ultimately coming to a resolution where EVERYONE involved is safe. The only time he doesn’t is FUCKING OVERLORD who he rightfully, immediately, tries to briefly incapacitate to lockdown his medibay (protect patients/information). Ok I gotta stop I can go on forever just going page to page. Also, despite my love, I can totally point out his flaws. He’s grating when it’s unnecessary, he’s abhorrently bad at communicating, he’s privileged, he’s narrow-minded at times, etc. ec. But again what I love about him is that despite all that, he’ll throw his own self out the window for others’s well-being bc he genuinely, genuinellyyy cares about other people. If only he could care for himself //cries All the people I ship romantically with this character OH god... everyone. He’s my bicycle.  ok look, ya’ll know I’m an intense dratchet shipper and I could literally write a god damn essay. ... here’s another essay???!! So, I’ma be real, I wasn’t a super dratchet shipper before. I wasn’t anti (i have no notps), but I was just “yeah they’re cute i guess haha”. But 99.99% the reason why I ship anything is all for super cute adorable fanart. and I kept drawing them because 1) ratchet’s my fav, 2) drift is super popular so I figured I should learn to draw him. And they became the only 2 mechs I could draw. I used to be way more into Scavengers + megarod. I used to only like 1 dratchet fanfic and that’s bc it was less romantic and more plot centric (still a fav tho). Then I kept seeing cute fanart, I would read posts by other dratchet shippers too about what makes them so nice? And I was yeah.. oh yeah. And it doesn’t help that in Lost Light, drift is CONSTANTLY by Ratchet’s side. He’s constantly checking up on him and holding him and touching him, like as if Ratchet is the thing that he needs to make sure, at all costs, is safe.  In Drift’s life, Ratchet is the one who appears to him when he needs support the most but is in the most denial of it. When Drift is at the brink of death, overdosed and about to be broken apart and Orion brings him to Ratchet’s clinic. Ratchet patches him up pro-bono and tells him that he sees something special in him.  like??? can you imagine how that feels? To have no one believe in you--you don’t even believe in yourself, and yet here’s this person who tells you “you’re gonna be great”. And it totally doesn’t hit Drift in anyway, at least in a way that’s tangible to him, until much later in life. Or maybe it does (hey, how do you weave character narratives when it’s been written by like 3 different ppl shrugs). And that statement means 2 different things to them. To Drift, it’s a reminder that he’s worth something, even if it’s a sliver of nearly nothing to hold onto. To Ratchet, it’s a reminder that the greatness he saw led to the deaths of thousands of people.  HEY can you imagine this person you saved, patched up, tried to encourage, ended up being a mass serial killer in the future? (have you ever read Monster by Naoki Urusawa). Ended up killing people you loved?  So it’s no wonder that a good part of Ratchet is absolutely mad at Drift. And I think if that was all, they probably would’ve ended up being amicable. But Drift also ended up being super religious and seeing the hand and primus in everything and oh my god is this person really waxing poetry on the value of life when he, himself, shot several bullets at me at one point?  I also believe they are uncomfortably similar as they are different. The reason why they constantly butt heads is they’re two people trying to escape a past they don’t want and found complete opposite ways to cope with their losses. Drift found religion, Ratchet is gratingly pragmatic, and they see each other and go “how could this guy choose to be this way?”. I’ve heard ppl like to cite the annual as the reason why they could never work out. BUT, can I point out, that they act around each other in a way they don’t with anyone else? Drift gets SO MAD. Ratchet gets extremely talkative and incredibly personal (pulled out an electro slug from someone’s spark, holy shit that fucking traumatized you didn’t it??). They challenge each other emotionally, and it’s so fucking difficult bc they’re both extremely depressed and suffer from PTSD and would probably rather just go on their dumb space adventure and look at stars--take 2 emotionally constipated idiots and you get them. And hell no, don’t tell me Drift is in-tune with his feelings bc he’s 10000% not. He uses religion to cope with a past and life that he doesn’t want to think about. He tries to re-contextualize himself because he hates who he is. OUCHHH. And Ratchet MAKES him confront the parts of himself he hates--bc Ratchet has seen his worst traits and isn’t afraid to make him think about it.  So why do they work out eventually? They realize how important they are to each other. Delphi, Drift saves Ratchet’s life while he’s barely holding onto his own because he probably feels like he owes Ratchet his own life. And that’s a huge turning point in their relationship--Ratchet sees that... Drift tries really really fucking hard. My friend Zig pointed out that post-Delphi, Drift is eating energon w/ chopsticks (what a fucking nerd), and you can see in a later panel that Ratchet (who chose to sit next to Drift) is using those chopsticks too. IT’s such a small thing, but they’re becoming closer by sharing and learning from each other. And then Drift takes the fall and leaves. And Ratchet realizes just how important Drift’s presence is in his life. I mentioned it already lol but the scene where Ratchet helps Drift up off the floor and it’s superimposed with the love message Rewind left for CD. They care about each other so much!! And Ratchet chases after him!! HOLY SHIT. If that isn’t romance, what is?? lol I kid, but it’s obvious just how important Drift’s presence meant to him. IT’s really because they became so so so close in a way that can’t be described as just friends. They deeply understand each other in really uncomfortable ways and bring out the absolute worst and absolute best in each other. And this point is where Ratchet again appears when Drift doesn’t realize he needs someone in his life. Drift thinks he can be a loner and just float aimlessly and voicelessly--hell no! He needs friends, he needs community. He NEEDs belonging, because he wants to belong somewhere. And Ratchet helps bridge him back to friends and found family.  And Ratchet slowly changes the more he’s with Drift. He reads religious text and tries to brag about it bc he’s a dumb tsundere lol but he’s trying to understand Drift’s interests more even if it takes a decade and more to get there. And Drift values him for being his rock. That’s why he’s constantly making sure Ratchet is safe and unharmed, because he owes at least that much to him. And yeah they eventually fall in love because they value each other in a way they haven’t anyone else. IM EMO I CAN GO ONE, this all probably didn’t make a whole lot of sense but yeah. I’m just so soft to the fact that they’re horribly hurt people who don’t know how to redirect their pain, but by being together they come out healthier and more confident. IT’S RLY ROMANTIC IDKKK My non-romantic OTP for this character As much as I also love OpRatch, they are also great best friend platonic ship. They know each other best, they’ve been through SO MUCH together. It’s honestly a shame they barely interact in IDW bc the small tidbits we have, they obviously deeply respect each other’s opinions and deeply value the relationship they’ve had over the past millions of years.  I’m also all for non-romanceOTP for dratchet because I can totally imagine they go to each other to talk about things they feel uncomfortable sharing with others (they’ve seen the absolute worst of each other afterall).  My unpopular opinion about this character I don’t... think I ahve one. Some ppl view my love for his as grating lol.  One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. Medic spin off.

[lord-squiggletits]

4, 13, 23, 26, 47, 65 :)

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

The first story idea I ever came up with for Transformers/IDW MegOP is a novel idea named "The Blade Called Trust", I literally thought it was going to be my first Transformers fic until the initial concept of Pay Unto Evil came to mind and supplanted it (as I had more/better plot ideas to make an outline).

The main reason I haven't worked on it is because TBCT is intended to be (even when I first conceived it) a magnum opus of IDW MegOP as well as possibly even IDW1 as a whole. It's not just gonna be megop-centric, but it's also going to be me picking and choosing my favorite parts of IDW1 and remixing them into my own fic that's basically an "alternate continuity" of sorts. Though not a fix-it fic so much as as it is a love letter to IDW1, making my own version of it but also paying homage to all of the coolest parts of it IMO.

As such, it's a super mega intense project that I need to do another read of IDW1 so that I can refresh myself on the lore, favorite characters, plotlines/themes I would've liked to see more of, etc. And THEN I can make a proper outline for it, and once that happens I'm home free to actually start writing.

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

idk how to answer this one so I'm just gonna say N/A lkdsfklds

23. how do you deal with writers block?

Cry into my friends' DMs lamenting the limitations of my mortal form and why it is I can't be 100% creative and energized all of the time (not joking, my hubris is real bad). Suffer and wait for it to be over. Get really depressed about it. Usually focus on my other hobbies (gardening, sewing) while I wait for the writing juice to come back.

26. do you like to write one-shots or series, and why?

I don't have a preference. If an idea is meant to be a one-shot, I'm happy to write it as a one-shot. If it's meant to be a series/multichapter, likewise. I think being able to write a one-off piece that scratches some brain itch idea I had in my mind is just as good as an idea that takes multiple chapters/pieces to fully realize.

47. what story are you most proud of?

NOOOOO DON'T ASK ME TO BE PROUD OF MYSELF NOOOOO

Somewhat surprisingly I think it's actually An Endless Form Most Beautiful. I reread that fic somewhat recently trying to motivate myself to finish chapter 10, and holy absolute fuck. Past me was a genius writing it. The pacing is perfect. The slow tension and reveal of OP's backstory is also perfect. The romance between OP and Megatron feels natural and develops in a very deep way throughout the fic, centered on them developing trust and sharing their deepest thoughts/fears/goals/affirmations to each other. Impactor is an amazing secondary protagonist whose platonic love for Megatron hits just as hard as the main romantic plot between Orion and Megatron. The recurring themes of community, friendship, love, and collective support are CONSTANT and reinforced by basically everything that happens in the plot. Past me was a genius. I don't understand why I was so worried about the romance feeling unnatural/rushed or the themes being poorly represented.

I don't really like to compare my longfics to each other since I think each is different, but I think the entirety of AEFMB has thematic strength comparable to the epilogue chapters of Pay Unto Evil. Everything is so tightly knit together, but instead of PUE where the themes of mercy/restorative justice were basically an emotional payoff for a long story of suffering and hard choices, AEFMB's themes are a long, slow burn that keep the reader warm throughout the length of the fic, giving it a much more optimistic feeling.

That being said I'm also really proud of Pay Unto Evil for being the first novel-length story I've ever completed. And also for the fact that people keep leaving me comments saying how deeply the story impacted them or made them cry or gave them hope in happy endings.

65. what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve written? 

Pay Unto Evil is probably my favorite, given how succinctly it summarizes the theme of the entire fic. When you first pick it up, I imagine some readers might take "pay unto evil" to be phrased as a sort of declarative statement, an implication that this fic is going to be about karma and people getting what they deserve based on their past actions. But then you read on through the fic all the way to the end (or you already recognize/know the Bible verse the title is stolen from) and realize the actual plot/theme is quite the opposite.

It's a short, catchy, clever, deceptive (if you don't know the original quote it came from), insightful (if you do know the original quote) and meaningful title all in one. Technically a fic title only needs to make some kind of sense to be "good," but it's always nice as a writer when you find that title that's a real ZINGER, as clever and profound as something that would be published as an actual great work of literature.

But also, shout out to one of my Tarnma one-shots little death because even though it's quite a generic/cheesy title (everyone knows that "little death" is based on a French euphemism for orgasming sdlfdjlsk), it feels really fitting for how cheesy and romantic Pharma and Tarn are for each other in that fic, as well as the fact that Pharma having sparkplay done on him via Tarn's voice literally is flirting with death in a way. Thus, little death.

Other shout-outs: Love's Harvest, Of Tides Inevitable, and the joke titles of the one-shot Not According to Plan leading to a sequel fic called Exactly According to Plan. Besides that I literally get most of my fic titles from stealing song lyrics and/or lines of poetry so lmao 😂😂😂